Hitachi Rail & DB Cargo Launch First Automated Freight Locomotive in EU

Hitachi Rail, DB Cargo and a number of additional partners have launched Europe’s first automated freight locomotive.

The locomotive, a DB Cargo unit, has been equipped with brand-new ATO (Automatic Train Operation) and RTO (Remote Train Operation) technology, marking a major step toward a fully automated freight rail system in Europe.

As technology partner for the project; the supply of the locomotive’s onboard ATO system and the general oversight of its system integration has been handled by Hitachi Rail, with trials set to commence in October 2025 on the Dutch Betuweroute.

Daniel Stoll, Project Manager at Hitachi Rail in German, said:

This project exemplifies our ambition to deliver real solutions for the mobility of tomorrow through technological excellence.

Automation is the key to using capacity more efficiently, reducing energy consumption, and making rail freight more attractive, more powerful, and more future-ready overall.

Initially launched in November 2022, the project has seen support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.